JPS62136693A - Graphic character output system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a graphic character output method, and is used to output graphic characters in dot matrix patterns of different sizes, such as in word processors including CRT displays and dot printers, and personal computers. The present invention relates to a graphic character output method in a system having multiple output devices.

(Prior technology) C that displays and outputs graphic characters including kanji in a dot pattern
The size of the dot matrix of graphic characters used in output devices such as RT display devices and dot printers is +6 x 16 x height, and 24 x 24.32 x, respectively.
Generally, there are 32 dots. Particularly in word processors and personal computers, 16x16 and 24x24 dot matrices are widely used because of their excellent cost performance.

The dot patterns of graphic characters are stored in a storage device in correspondence with the character code, and this storage means may be installed for each output device, or it may be installed in one place for the entire system and shared by multiple output devices. There are cases where In either case, the graphic character code specified externally (2-byte JISC6226 code is often used)
The corresponding character pattern data is read from the storage area in the storage device corresponding to the character pattern data and sent to the output device. At this time, read-only MASK novh is often used as a storage device for dot patterns.

Word processors or personal computers are generally connected to both a CRT display and a dot printer as output devices. However, the main purpose of use varies greatly depending on the device. That is, C
The purpose of the RT display is for the operator to operate the system including the CIIT display, and the operator creates documents or programs while looking at the CRT display. On the other hand, dot printers output data for storage or to show to others.

Therefore, compared to CRT displays, dot printers are required to have higher quality output.

At present, the matrix structures of graphic characters used by word processors and personal computers on the market can be broadly classified as follows.

High-end model: CRT display 24x24 (dot matrix) Dot printer: 24x24 Low-end model: CRT display: 16x16 Dot printer: 16x16 However, demands for smaller, lower-priced systems and CR
Due to the relationship between T monitor performance (total number of display dots) and the required number of display characters, even if the system is a 24X24 dot system or a 16X16 dot system, the dot matrix for a CRT display is 22X22 or 15X1B.
Dots are often used. This is a CRT
This is because the display is mainly intended for operator operability, so it should be easy for the operator to read it.

However, in such a system, it is usually necessary to have two types of matrix sizes, one for CRT displays and one for dot printers, and the number of character types is extremely large (JISC62
26 graphic character types (approximately 7000 characters), and two types of character generators are required, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost. In order to reduce the price, the output of the dot printer is 22x22 or +5x16) according to the matrix size of the CRT display.
x22 or 15x16 dots, resulting in poor print quality of the printer. Also 24x24 and 16
The dot pattern of the x16 dot matrix size is J
It is a unified pattern because it is specified by IS,
Although it is not necessary for each company to design its own dot patterns, it is necessary for each company to design new dot patterns for the 22x22 and 15x16 dot matrix sizes.

In this way, in the past, both dot printers and CRT displays were printed at 24 x 24 (or 16 x 1
6) Use a dot matrix pattern or
Or dot printer is 24X24 (or 16X16
) Dot matrix pattern, CRT displays had a 22x22 (or 15XI6) dot matrix pattern and two types of character generators. Or, they shared a character generator with a 22x22 (or 15x16) dot matrix pattern, sacrificing the print quality of dot printers.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the system of the prior art has the following problems.

1. Both dot printer and CRT display are 24X
CR for 24 (or 16x16) dot matrix
T-displays cannot be made smaller and cheaper.

2. It is not cost effective to use different character generators for dot printers and CRT displays.

3. Dot printer and CRT display both 22x
22 (or 15×16) dot matrix results in poor print quality.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide a graphic character output method that can reduce the size and cost of the system without degrading print quality. purpose.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention is directed to a graphic character output method in a system having a plurality of output devices that output graphic characters in dot matrix patterns of different sizes. In order to solve this problem, a dot matrix pattern of a certain size is converted into a dot matrix pattern of another size by thinning out at least one of the rows and columns and output. Preferably, rows or columns are thinned out based on data in the rows or columns immediately before and after each row or column.

(Function) In the system to which the present invention is applied, a plurality of output devices are used, and the size of the dot matrix pattern used is different between one output device (for example, a dot printer) and another output device (for example, a CRT printer). There is. now,
It is assumed that the former output device uses a dot matrix pattern of a certain size. In this case, according to the invention, the dot matrix pattern used in the latter output device is created by thinning out rows and/or columns of the dot matrix pattern used in the former output device. Therefore, even though the sizes of the dot matrix patterns are different between the former and the latter, only one character generator is required. Furthermore, if the rows or columns to be thinned out are determined based on the data in the rows or columns immediately before and after each row or column, there is almost no reduction in print quality due to thinning out.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an output mechanism of a system such as a word processor or a personal computer to which the graphic character output method of the present invention is applied. This output mechanism is composed of a control section 1, a character generator 2, a matrix converter 3, a dot printer 4A, and a CRT display 5.

In the figure, a is a character address, b is the first character pattern data (24x24 or 16x16 dot matrix), and C is the second character pattern data (22x22
or a 15×16 dot matrix). This output mechanism incorporates two types of output devices, a dot printer 4 and a CRT display 5, each using a different dot matrix pattern. In other words, the dot printer 4 has 24x24 (or 16x16
) A dot matrix pattern is used, and the CRT display 5 uses a 22x22 (or 15x1B) dot matrix pattern.

The control section 1 reads out the corresponding character pattern data from the character generator 2 according to the graphic character code instructed from the outside, and outputs it to the dot printer 4 and the CRT display 5.

Character generator 2 is 24x24 (
It is designed with a dot configuration of a dot matrix size (or 16x16), and stores dot patterns corresponding to graphic character codes. The character generator 2 is composed of, for example, a MASK ROM. The matrix converter 3 is a characteristic part of this output mechanism, and converts the first character pattern data b from the character generator 2 into second character pattern data C having a different matrix size.

The dot printer 4 performs a printing operation using the first character pattern data b from the character generator 2. CR
The T-display 5 displays data based on the second character pattern data output from the matrix converter 3.

To explain the operation, when a graphic character code is manually entered from the outside, the control section 1 sends a character address a to the character generator 2. Then, among the pattern data stored in the character generator 2, the data specified by the character address a is read out, and 24
The first of the X24 (or 16X16) dot matrix
It is output to the dot printer 4 for printing as character pattern data b, and is also output to the matrix converter 3. The first character pattern data b supplied to the matrix converter 3 is reduced to 22 by thinning out rows or columns.
The second part of the X22 (or 15X1B) dot matrix
The data is converted into character pattern data C and output to the CRT display 5 for display. Matrix converter 3 converts the first 24x24 dot matrix
When the character pattern data b is manually generated, two rows and two columns are thinned out to output second character pattern data C in a 22x22 dot matrix. Also, 16X
16-dot matrix second character pattern data b
When done manually, by thinning out one row, 15X
1B dot matrix second character pattern data C
Output. In this way, the dot printer 4
Printing is performed using character pattern data b, while CR
The T-display 5 displays the second character pattern data C.

Next, the pattern conversion operation performed by the matrix converter 3 will be explained in detail.

24x24 or 16x16 specified by JIS
The dot pattern of a dot matrix is not designed with the dot pattern of a 22x22 or +5x16 dot matrix in mind.

Therefore, by thinning out rows (or columns) from the original dot matrix pattern, it is unavoidable that the quality of the characters will deteriorate to some extent, but depending on where the lines are thinned out, the lines may become collapsed or disappear. in this case,
The quality of printing etc. deteriorates significantly, making it difficult to read, and the operator's operability is greatly impaired. Therefore, when thinning rows (or columns), the matrix converter 3 of this embodiment focuses on a certain row (or column) and determines how much that row changes with respect to the upper and lower rows (or left and right columns). Find out whether the changes are the same, and thin out the rows (or columns) that show little change.

FIGS. 2A to 2D are diagrams for explaining a method of creating a 15×I6 dot matrix pattern from a 16×16 dot matrix pattern.

Here, the character "new" will be explained as an example.

Figure 2 (A) is a diagram showing the pattern of the "new" 16X16 dot matrix specified by JTSC6232, Figure 2 ([1) is a diagram explaining how to check changes in columns, and Figure 2 (C ) is a diagram showing how the columns change, and FIG. 2(D) is a diagram showing the pattern of the 15×16 dot matrix after conversion.

To make a "new" 15x16 dot matrix 16
One row must be thinned out from the X16 dot matrix pattern. Therefore, for each column, check how many bits have changed compared to the left column and right column. For example, if we pay attention to column 2, as shown on the left side of FIG. 2(B), the row number 00 has changed compared to column 0. Hereinafter, this will be referred to as a changing point. Therefore, the number of left change points in the ■ column is 4. Also, as shown on the right side of Figure 2 (B), the row number is
Since ■@■■ is changing, the number of right changing points in the ■ column is 6.
It is. Similarly, if we check the number of left and right changing points from ■ to column 0, we get the results as shown in Figure 2 (G). A small number of change points means that the importance of that column in the dot matrix is low and the Hog for readability is the lowest. Focusing on this, the total number of change points becomes 1.
I decided to thin out the columns. Since everything outside the 16×16 matrix size is treated as empty (no dots), the left changing point of column 0 is the row number ■■ [phase] ■, and its number is four.

Similarly, the number of right change points in the column becomes 1. Also, if there are multiple columns with the least total change points, the one with the larger column number will be thinned out. The "new" pattern of the 15xlB dot matrix newly created by this is shown in FIG. 2(D).

FIGS. 3A to 3D are diagrams for explaining a method of creating a 22×22 dot matrix pattern from a “new” 24×24 dot matrix pattern.

Figure 3 (A) is the "new" 24X specified in the JIS standard.
A diagram showing the pattern of a 24-dot matrix, Figure 3 (
B) is a diagram showing changes in columns, Figure 3 (C) is a diagram showing changes in rows, and Figure 3 (D) is 22X after conversion.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a pattern of a 22-dot matrix.

3rd step to make a “new” 22x22 dot matrix
Two rows and two columns must be thinned out from the 24×24 dot matrix pattern shown in Figure (8).

Therefore, we examine the changes in columns and rows in the same way as above. That is, as shown in FIGS. 3(B) and (C), columns
The left and right changing points in the [Phase] column and the vertical changing points in the ■ and [Phase] rows are determined, and the total number of changing points is calculated for each column and each row. In addition,
Similarly to the above, everything outside the 24x24 matrix size is treated as empty (no dots).

Then, the row and column with the smallest total change points and the row and column with the next smallest total are thinned out.

Note that if there are multiple rows or columns with the smallest total points of change points, the one with the larger row number or column number will be thinned out. Furthermore, if there is a plurality of rows or columns with the second least number of changing points, the rows or columns with the number far from the thinned out row or column number are determined to have the least number of changing points. If the number of change points is the same, the column (or row) number that was thinned out immediately before is thinned out. However, for the first column (or row) to be thinned out, select the column (or row) number or the larger one. The "new" pattern of the 22x22 dot matrix newly created by this is shown in FIG. 3(D).

By such a method, the pattern shown in FIG. 2(D) or FIG. 3(D) newly created by the matrix converter 3 is sent out as a pattern for display on the CRT display 5.

According to the new pattern creation method described above, the rows (or columns) to be thinned out are determined by focusing only on the number of changing points in the rows (or columns), so it can be easily done in a short time without degrading the quality of the pattern. You can create new patterns that match the output device. Therefore, if a matrix converter that adopts this pattern creation method is incorporated into a system, the most cost-effective graphic character output method that is compatible with the output device can be realized by using only a single dot matrix character generator. .

(Effects of the Invention) As described in detail above, according to the present invention, a new dot matrix pattern of a different size is created by thinning out at least one of the rows and columns of a dot matrix pattern of a certain size. Therefore, it becomes possible to provide a dot pattern suitable for the output device easily and at high speed without degrading print quality.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the output mechanism of a system to which the graphic character output method of the present invention is applied, and FIGS.
Each figure is a diagram for explaining a pattern conversion method using the matrix converter of FIG. 1. t-b+ control section, 2...Character generator, 3...Matrix converter, 4...Dot printer, 5...-CRT display.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a graphic character output method in a system having multiple output devices that outputs graphic characters as dot matrix patterns of different sizes, a dot matrix pattern of a certain size is thinned out in at least one of rows and columns to create dots of another size. A graphic character output method characterized by converting into a matrix pattern and outputting it. (2) The graphic character output method according to claim 1, wherein the rows or columns to be thinned out are determined based on the data in the rows or columns immediately before and after each row or column.